BULLETIN BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB DRIVERS’ RACING BRITISH THE OF BULLETIN Volume 28 No 4 • WINTER 2007 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 28 No 4 4 No 28 Volume • WINTER 2007 WINTER 2 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 BULLETIN BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB DRIVERS’ RACING BRITISH THE OF BULLETIN THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 28 No 4 • WINTER 2007 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 28 No 4 4 No 28 Volume • President in Chief 2007 WINTER HRH The Duke of Kent KG President Volume 28 No 4 • WINTER 2007 Damon Hill OBE Chairman CONTENTS Robert Brooks Directors 06 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 40 MACAU MEETING Lord Beaverbrook 10 Damon Hill Results from the WTCC, F3 and Porsche Ross Hyett Jackie Oliver Carrera Cup Asia events Stuart Rolt 09 NEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT Ian Titchmarsh Derek Warwick The latest from the offices of SCL 42 BLAST FROM THE PAST Nick Whale Greg Mills profiles Tony Maggs Club Secretary 10 FORMULA ONE REVIEW Stuart Pringle Tel: 01327 850926 Peter Windsor writes for the Bulletin 46 MEETING MEMBERS email: [email protected] The Club Secretary chats with Charles Assistant Club Secretary 16 RACING MEMBERS Morgan James Beckett Tel: 01327 850925 BRDC Members have been on-track around email: [email protected] 22 the world 48 OBITUARIES PA to Club Secretary Becky Simm Tel: 01327 850922 20 2007 BRDC SILVER STAR 51 BECKETT’S CORNER email: [email protected] Jason Plato wins for the third time BRDC Bulletin Editorial Board 52 BOOK REVIEWS James Beckett (Ed), Ian Titchmarsh, Stuart Pringle 21 2007 BRDC GOLD STAR A few Christmas ideas BRDC Silverstone Circuit Lewis Hamilton edged Dario Franchitti in Towcester Northants the season-long Gold Star battle 56 SECRETARY’S LETTER NN12 8TN Sponsorship and advertising 22 WALTER HAYES TROPHY 57 CLUB AND REGIONAL EVENTS Please contact Michaela Reeeves 28 Peter Dempsey wins for the second time What we are, and have been, up to – plus Tel: 01423 851150 email: [email protected] what’s on, when, and where © 2007 The British Racing Drivers’ Club. All rights in and relating to 26 RISING STARS this publication are expressly reserved. Nothing in this publication The Club’s Rising Stars enjoyed success this may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission from the BRDC. The views expressed in Bulletin are not season necessarily those of the editor, the BRDC or the publishers. DesIGN 32 ANNUAL AWARDS Damion Chew The Annual Awards returned to London Front Cover: PRODUced BY this year Barker Brooks Media Ltd Andy Priaulx – FIA World Touring Car Champion 2007 (Photo LAT) Barker Brooks House 4 Greengate, Cardale Park 38 36 UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT Inside Front Cover: Harrogate Poetry in motion and maximum attack. Colin McRae in his element, HG3 1GY Stefan Wilson has been crowned as the Tel: 01423 851150 2007 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young thrilling the British fans on the Network Q Rally Great Britain in 1994 email: [email protected] www.barkerbrooks.co.uk Driver of the Year (Photo LAT) Back Cover: 38 LE MANS SERIES The regular view the WTCC competitors had of Andy Priaulx’s BMW www.brdc.co.uk Silverstone hosted The Empire Trophy Race throughout the 2007 season (Photo LAT) in September BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 3 4 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 brdc advert landscape.qxp 21/11/2007 12:02 Page 1 BDO Stoy Hayward are proud to support Britain's young drivers with the BRDC For further details on how we can help drive your business forward please contact Bob Butler on 0121 352 6249 or alternatively visit our website. www.bdo.co.uk 'Employer of the Year' 2007 'Global Firm of the Year' 2006 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP and BDO Stoy Hayward Belfast are both authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to conduct investment business. BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 5 DAMON HILL OBE PreSIDent’S Letter ear Member, else of significant benefit to their chances process time to unfold. Please do not be Previous page (left) The Maestro at the peak of his powers. Monaco 14 May It has been yet another as they progress in the sport. All this will too easily ‘rattled’ by the fantastical and 1961. Turning into what was then called the Station Hairpin, bumper year for British come to reflect well on the BRDC as being sometimes alarmist reporting which Stirling Moss in Rob Walker’s obsolescent, underpowered D Lotus-Climax 18 is on his way to one of his greatest victories. motorsporting success across the globe. a pro-active supporter of drivers’ careers. occurs with monotonous regularity on Stirling is on record as regarding this as his greatest drive. In There really must be something in the On the British Grand Prix, we are all this subject. Remember, as racing drivers, those days the Monaco GP lasted for 100 laps and the best part of three hours. Stirling won from Richie Ginther’s more water in this country. Perhaps the fact that working towards the most satisfactory we’re supposed to keep a cool head and powerful Ferrari Dino by just 3.7 secs. He took the lead from Richie on lap 14 and was never re-passed despite the best ef- we had record amounts of it this season outcome. I am advised by our Chairman, have nerves of steel! forts of Richie and his Ferrari team mates Phil Hill and “Taffy” brought added benefit? It’s a thought. Robert Brooks, that it will not be ‘a walk Meanwhile, have a very Merry von Trips. It was the only race in which Stirling reckoned he was at ten-tenths throughout. On the BRDC front, I like to think that in the park’; but also that it was never Christmas and congratulations to all good progress has been made towards expected to be so. In a global marketplace our Members who raced, regardless of improving the image of the Club and where a Grand Prix can bestow kudos whether or not you won, in 2007. Good increasing the activities that Members and a high intensity spotlight on a whole luck for 2008. can participate in. The team in the country, solo operations like Silverstone Secretary’s office have worked flat-out all Circuits Ltd. have their work cut out to year to improve the efficiency and cost compete. The debate about the necessity effectiveness of the club’s expenditure, so for UK Government ‘investment’ into the my congratulations to them. Also, there purchase of the event is an interesting are some interesting proposals on the one. I have my own views, as I expect October 13 1996 (Right) table to create better back-up resources many Members do also, and these Damon Hill OBE Damon Hill (Williams-Renault) leads Gerhard Berger for the many aspiring professional racing are bound to differ significantly from President, BRDC (Benetton-Renault), Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes), Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and the pack into Suzuka’s drivers we have coming through from individual to individual, but you should first turn, and sets off on his way to winning the 1996 FIA F1 World Championship. Damon entered the final round as the Rising Stars programme and into full know that the Board has faith in the team favourite to lift the crown, and his place in the history books membership. It will be very exciting and engaged on the negotiations on behalf was assured when Jacques Villeneuve’s slim title hopes evaporated on lap twenty when his Williams-Renault retired. satisfying to be able to offer something of the Club, and we should allow that Martin Brundle finished fifth, and scored points, in his final Grand Prix at the wheel of a Jordan-Peugeot. 6 BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 DAMON HILL OBE BRDC Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 7 Sunday 24 October 1976. The day James Hunt became World Champion. The race began in quite appalling conditions. Here at the end of the lap 1 Master James’s McLaren M23 leads John Watson’s Penske PC4 by the length of his huge cloud of spray, with ultimate race winner Mario Andretti’s Lotus 77 a black and gold speck in the background. A little further back Niki Lauda is about to withdraw, declaring it too dangerous to continue. James has to score at least four points to win the title. A win would do nicely and he leads until lap 62 of 73. But the rain stops, the track dries and James’s tyres are finished. He loses the lead and with five laps to go pits for fresh tyres, dropping to fifth. Unbelievably Alan Jones (Surtees TS19) and Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari 312 T2) both have deflating tyres and are passed by the McLaren on the penultimate lap. James is third for the four points which give him the World Championship by one point from Niki. Has there ever been a more extraordinary end to the Formula 1 world championship? (Photo LAT) Ian Titchmarsh NEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT NEWS FRom yoUR CIRCUIT SILVERSTONE: INTO THE FUTURE Richard Phillips outlines the plans for an important period in the circuit’s history will be the 60th community, consulting with them every anniversary of motor step of the way during the lead up to the 2008 racing at Silverstone. Development Brief being issued, and it is Throughout much of that time the BRDC vital that we continue with this and not has been the custodian of the circuit and forget how important local support is to the maintained it as one of the world’s leading future of the venue.